This semester alone, I’ve paid nearly $3000 of student loan debt and made more money than ever before – on top of working 50 hours a week in grad school. While the money has been a wonderful development, the consequences have sometimes been challenging. By pushing myself to make more and more money to pay off debt that’s tracking at 6.8%, it’s meant stress, sleepless nights, and even, ironically, poor budgeting.

When I reflect on my decision making, I realize that making more money can lead to careless spending. You may balk or laugh, saying, “How simple? You’re just realizing this?” I assure you, while the realization is simple, preventing it can be a challenge.

Never before have I had such monthly budget surpluses, but I still have a lot to learn (and pay off). When you make more money, the tendency seems to be towards an “I deserve this” attitude. Somehow, I feel entitled to spend frivolously. This can wreck tight budgets and ruin savings plans.

So there you go… We all mess up. We all make mistakes. And, we certainly don’t always make the best monetary decisions. It’s all about how you stay accountable and react to the mishap. When I make a mistake, you can bet I’ll be writing about it – this is my method and medium for accountability.

Who or what makes you accountable for your spending?